Gasp! She's a Time Traveler Using Modern Tech to Improve Ancient Life-Chapter 489 - 487: Hot Spring Bath

At the last meeting where the clan distributed earnings, the Clan Leader announced to the clansmen that if they seek medical treatment from Lin Wanwan in the future, they must follow the rules of the pharmacy in town and pay the consultation and medicine fees.

If a family is truly struggling, the fees will be deducted from the clan’s dividend.

After all, everyone goes fishing at sea, works the fields together, and works in the workshops together; the work points earned are ultimately converted into money and materials distributed among them.

Lin Wanwan read "Lüshi Chunqiu", and came across a Chapter titled "Zigong Redeeming People".

It spoke about a law in Lu State that if a person from Lu State was found enslaved abroad, anyone who could redeem them would have their redemption paid by Lu State upon return.

Once, Confucius’ disciple Zigong redeemed a person from Lu State abroad, but upon returning, refused to accept the national compensation.

As a result, Confucius criticized him, saying, "You made a mistake. From now on, people from Lu State will not redeem others. Taking the money does no harm to your conduct, but without taking the money, no one will redeem others anymore."

Zigong’s mistake lay in raising moral standards to a level unattainable for most people.

Turning personal virtue into public virtue can lead to moral coercion, resulting in the general populace becoming apprehensive about morality and unwilling to help.

To harm oneself for the benefit of others is a saintly act, but the true morality which does not harm oneself and benefits others is the public virtue standard that the masses can accept.

Lin Wanwan actually understood this principle too; it’s just that money came too easily in the Great Tang.

Items like pepper, mirrors, fabrics, and copper were all too easy to obtain from the modern era, as if blown in by the wind, leading her to spend extravagantly and carelessly at times.

Whereas, in the modern era, it’s not easy to liquidate ancient antiques, with strict regulations everywhere, so she is less generous there.

And deep down, Lin Wanwan holds more guardedness against modern people, as she has no position there.

In the Great Tang, she is a Secondary Fifth Rank Village Lady, and the clan members look up to her. She feels she doesn’t lose when she gives and receives emotional value in return.

In the modern era, when Lin Wanwan lends money, it often goes to waste, but in the Great Tang, she believes every bit she gives will be rewarded.

She is sure that her residence in Lin Family Manor will be very safe, because no one can harm her beyond the clan members of Lin Family Manor.

Like last year when she received a shipment from Qiong State, attracting several thieves who broke in at night.

Immediately, the people of Lin Family Manor dealt with the thieves without involving her at all.

The people of Lin Family Manor are both her ancestors and her current protectors.

Since they protect her, she is naturally willing to contribute to the community, exchanging sincerity for sincerity.

But the old couple in the modern era who ask her for money never helped her even a bit.

When she was young and parentless, and their son was eating popsicles, they never showed caring to give her one. Why should she help them now that she’s successful?

Lin Wanwan always remembers the time her grandmother talked about when she was young, playing with a child from the clan relative who lived ahead of her grandparents’ house.

On that day, they were cooking corn, but only gave it to their child, completely ignoring Lin Wanwan, forcing her to watch yearningly.

Seeing this scene after returning from farming, Lin Wanwan’s grandmother felt heartbroken, immediately called Lin Wanwan home, picked some corn from the field to cook for her.

Even though the corn wasn’t fully grown, her grandmother harvested it without hesitation, not wanting Lin Wanwan to envy others.

What’s special about corn, they had it at home too.

Lin Wanwan doesn’t recall this due to being young, but her grandmother remembered it keenly and often brought it up when chatting later, impressing Lin Wanwan deeply.

Lin Wanwan’s grandparents, with no children around, never had anyone in the clan think about helping them. Being especially mindful of face, they always persevered, hence their immediate decision to buy a small villa after relocation.

Grandfather said that after a lifetime of living in a big house, he’d rather endure poverty in a big house than live wastefully in a small house.

If Lin Zhantian hadn’t taken most of the relocation money initially, Lin Wanwan and her grandparents wouldn’t have lived in poverty.

Because all the family money was taken by Lin Zhantian, only then did they live thriftily.

Frugality is virtuous, but often it’s due to helplessness.

The next day, Lin Wanwan sent invitations to the Zhang Family and Wang Family, inviting the eldest grandson’s wife of the Zhang Family, Wang Shi, and the second household’s daughter-in-law of the Wang Family, Yu Shi, to enjoy a full beauty treatment at Red Face Smile.

She was in such leisure because she had something to request.

In the backyard of Red Face Smile, there was an artificial hot spring pool, commonly known as the hot water pool, which is part of the beauty treatments offered at Red Face Smile.

This artificial hot spring originally cost forty-six guan to build, and thereafter five guan every month for fuel and labor.

And this cost cannot be recouped, because it’s only open to premium members, and the noble ladies who opened premium memberships can enjoy the hot spring without additional fees, included in the beauty package.

So the daily water changes and heating make the little Shopkeeper Lin Mengli of Red Face Smile feel heartache.

Lin Wanwan occasionally came to enjoy, like when needing ministering.

People in the Great Tang loved hot springs, it was better in Mao County, which didn’t have separate hot springs at the County Government-affiliated small creek town; people had to climb mountains to Daoist Temples or Temples with public bathhouses.

In Chang’an, however, hot springs were abundant, each neighborhood had one, the most famous being Huaqing Pool, popularized by Imperial Concubine Yang.

Lin Wanwan usually didn’t opt to bathe at Red Face Smile, being a Southern person, she was not accustomed to facing others naked, feeling awkward even among the same gender, wasn’t enjoying alone at home in a modern massage bathtub better?

However, today was special, as she was requesting someone and naturally had to accompany.

Appearing in a bikini at the hot water pool, Lin Wanwan caught the attention of Wang Shi and Yu Shi.

"Wanwan, what fabric is that? So novel," Wang Shi was the first to ask.

Lin Wanwan jumped into the pool, surrounded by water, leaving only her shoulders and head exposed, then casually lied, "This is some fabric I’ve been fiddling with myself, the craftsmanship is complex and hard to promote, so I just made this set."

Wang Shi understood, saying, "Wanwan, you really know a lot: medicine, cuisine, weaving. I heard that the cotton fabric made at your cotton workshop is quite soft."

"It’s indeed acceptable."

Yu Shi also praised from the side, "The thoughts of Village Lady Le’an are so imaginative, the fabric woven is unique too. But how come Village Lady’s wearing clothes in the bath? Isn’t it more uncomfortable? All bare bathing is the real comfort!"

"Haha, haha, just out of habit!" Lin Wanwan laughed awkwardly.